A Changed Man
by AngelShep
Summary: [BIG IRON MAN 3 SPOILERS] When Fury got wind of what was happening with the Mandarin, he chose to keep a watch out for Stark, but didn't intervene directly. But once things have come to an end, he decides to pay Stark a visit, at the very least to see how the man's doing. he certainly didn't expect what he found. One-shot.


**Hello, here's a little one-shot for Iron Man 3. You're warned if you didn't see the movie and don't want any spoilers (there's a BIG one in there), DON'T READ!**

**If it's no problem, then go ahead! :) Just a little something because I wanted Fury's reaction at the very least (I don't believe SHIELD would have disappeared while everything was happening). **

**Disclaimer: Tony, Pepper or Fury don't belong to me, neither does the plot of IM3... **

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When Hill barged into his office to tell him he needed to come, he didn't know what to expect. Another attack from aliens? SHIELD agents that needed reinforcements? A mission gone wrong? Something that had been discovered and needed his attention immediately? A new unknown threat rising?

He certainly didn't expect to see the live transmission of the destruction of Tony Stark's mansion in Malibu.

"What happened?" he growled, eyes not leaving the screen. A missile hit the house again and debris rolled and fell in the water below. One helicopter was destroyed and he recognized Stark's work easily. The man was still fighting inside that house.

"It's the Mandarin. Stark threatened him after Happy Hogan was hurt during a bombing," Hill explained, worry in her voice, despite the fact that she didn't like Stark more than was needed.

He didn't say anything back, too mesmerized by what was happening right then on the other side of the country. Stark had just taken another helicopter down, but it wasn't enough because it didn't fall in the direction of the water. It headed straight towards Stark.

Everyone in the room was holding their breath, watching the scene play out, watching how one of the persons they had to thank for saving the world a few months before might die.

The level where Fury knew was Stark's lab was hit next and the whole floor and ceiling tipped over. A car fell, followed by another. It was a never-ending fall of everything Stark owns, of his very home.

And then there was the man himself, in the suit, gripping one of the biggest pieces of reinforced concrete. He hit the water and disappeared with it.

A strangled gasp sounded next to him but he paid no mind. He was waiting with baited breath for the man to fly out of the water. Waiting. And waiting. And waiting. With each second that passed, he held his breath more and more. The helicopter did a U-turn, having done its job and the camera's attention snapped to the front of the house, while a voice stated that Tony Stark was likely to be buried under tons of concrete.

Fury was relieved to see Pepper Potts alive, watching with disbelief and concern what was left of the house, hands clenched tightly at her chest. There was a woman behind her but he didn't give a damn about her.

He turned on his heels and snapped. "Send someone there, I want details, I want to know where Stark is. I won't believe the man's dead until I see his body."

He walked out and debated whether to make a few calls or not. It was too soon to call for the Avengers' help. And if he knew Stark in the very least, he knew the man wouldn't want the SHIELD's help with this.

It didn't mean he wouldn't watch out carefully for any sign of the genius. Because if there was one thing he knew about him was how stubborn he was. He wouldn't leave this world with unfinished business. No. Stark was alive, or so God help him, he was going to kill him with his own hands (even if it would be ridiculous to kill an already dead man).

When the news of the explosion and attacks in a small town of Tennessee reached him, he knew immediately it was Stark. And when he realized one explosion similar to that of the Mandarin's bombings had happened there, it only confirmed his thought. The man was alive and obviously kicking and didn't want or need the SHIELD's help or he would have called. No he was holding it on his own and was laying low if he believed all the newspaper that still assumed him dead.

Stark knew how to disappear when he needed to.

Fury sent agents there as well, wanting to try and see if Stark had left anything behind. Which he did, if the report stating one of the man's suit was left in the care of a young boy was true. He didn't know what the man had in head but he hoped he knew what he was doing. Well, he probably did, he wouldn't let a suit fall into anyone's hands.

Still he wondered where Stark was now.

He heard about the attack on Air Force One after it was done, but when he saw the images of Iron Man flying to the rescue and saving those 13 people, he couldn't help but smile. Stark wasn't laying low any longer it would seem and was breathing down the Mandarin's neck. And the suit he left in the kid's care was back with him it seemed.

Fury couldn't say how surprised he was when the next image saw Iron Man being hit by a truck and falling into pieces. It seemed there were a few things he wasn't aware of about the suits. Since when could they fly without Stark in them? Or better yet if he wasn't in the suit, where was the man? It was starting to truly intrigued him how Stark seemed to have completely disappeared from the surface of the planet.

Once the whole ordeal was done, he was going to have a few words with the man.

It happened four days after the last strike. He heard about the battle at the harbor and the arrest of the Mandarin and everyone who had a link with him no matter how far. He saw the damages of the boat and wondered just how bad that battle had been. There were a lot of debris and pieces and burned things and not much traces of human people, even dead ones. He was going to have to ask Stark if he ever hoped to know what happened there.

It took him a couple of hours but he found Stark in a small rent out house in California, not far from Los Angeles, but sufficiently far that he wouldn't be disturbed. All the headlines of the press talked about the save Iron Man did and how the hero had disappeared yet again, as well as the CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts. Fury had wondered if he was going to interrupt them in the middle of some kind of holidays they were having. It wouldn't be surprising after what happened that they would want some time off.

What he found in that house was certainly not what he expected.

He entered without knocking as he usually did, but maybe he should have. Nothing could have prepared him to the sight of one Pepper Potts on fire. Or well she looked like she was on fire: her skin was wearing a fiery red and orange glow, and the air around her was blurring from the sheer heat she was oozing. Stark was standing in front of her, hands out in front of him, obviously trying to calm her. It seemed time off wasn't the only reason they were out of town.

"Pepper, honey, please, don't burn the house down, there's no need for that, right now." She clenched her fists and closed her red eyes tightly. Stark dared take a step forward.

"I should have come another time."

Both heads snapped to him and Stark groaned while the glow around Potts became more pronounced. "Now's not the time Eyepatch," Stark snapped before turning back to his girlfriend. "Pepper, take deep breaths, in and out." He should have shut up indeed if it was so important that Potts stayed calm. What the hell had happened the past few days?

Fury noticed then the crack in the wall behind Stark and frowned. The beginning of a possible explanation was forming inside his mind. "Tony, I just… How do you want me to calm down after I…" She made a sound of frustration and gestured at the wall. "I threw you into the damn wall!" Well he guessed right.

The anger made her hand turn a violent white and Tony's eyes flew open as he jumped to the side.

Just in time to avoid a… Fury didn't know exactly what it was but it did let a burning and smoking hole in the wall. She gasped in surprise and took a step back, hands flying to her mouth in horror. Stark stood up from the floor, grimacing lightly.

"God, Tony, I'm… I'm so sorry, I… I could have killed you. Oh God I…"

Fury had to admit she was scary. But Stark was either brave or foolish because he took a step forward, reaching out towards her with a hand. "Pepper," he started firmly. "Breathe, I'm fine, okay? Nothing's going to happen to me if you just _calm down_."

She looked uncertainly at his hand before taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes, her shoulders relaxing. Slowly, the glow faded away and her skin went back to a more natural cream color. Stark moved forward and grabbed her hand. She jerked away but he held on firmly. "I'm fine," he insisted.

She nodded briefly and ran a hand through her red hair. "I…"

"Pepper, stop. It's not your fault." He sighed and turned to Fury. "So… What do you want?"

Fury could only stare for a few seconds, before he managed to regain his composure. "I came for news. With everything that went down with the Mandarin, I wanted to make sure everything was… fine," he finished, eyes looking back at Potts.

"Peachy," she let out. Stark sent her a look which wasn't as effective as it could have been because of the small smile he was wearing.

"A few bumps, but we're gonna get over them." He turned amused eyes towards him. "I didn't know you cared, Nicky!" The words were right, but the tone was slightly off – he figured Stark was just tired and not up to his usual sarcastic and pain-in-the-ass self.

But he was still suddenly reminded of the whole reason why the man was so damn infuriating. "You're a member of the Avengers and your house was blown up a few days ago. I was wondering if I needed to replace one of New York's hero."

Stark's face went pale and his breathing hitched. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pinching his nose. "Tony," Potts called urgently. "In, out, like this." She glared at him, eyes turning slightly red.

Fury took a step back, frowning and looking between the two. There was something he was missing. Something was wrong with Stark.

"It's okay, I'm…" He took one last deep breath. "I'm fine." He smiled tightly before glancing back at Fury. "Could you… not talk about…" He gestured vaguely in the air. "New York." He finished, voice low.

Fury narrowed his eye at the man but didn't push the issue. He could recognize the signs. Rapid breathing, wide eyes, a bit unfocused, paleness. Stark had just suffered from a short panic attack. He may not have walked away as great as he thought he did from the events in New York.

"Stark, is there anything SHIELD can help you with?"

The billionaire looked at the hole in the wall then back at him. "No, I… I'll fix everything."

Fury nodded. "Do I want to know?" Potts smiled and shook her head. "Very well. You know how to reach me." He turned on his heels, thinking this might have been one of the strangest encounters he ever had – and that was saying something considering his job.

"Fury!" Stark's voice echoed just behind him. He turned back around, noticing Stark wasn't exactly as confident as he always was. "I… I blew up all the suits." Fury raised an eyebrow, completely bewildered. He thought nothing could surprise him anymore, but it seemed Stark had managed to do so twice already in this conversation – well, no, the first surprise was Potts but same difference. "I'm done with Iron Man."

The director didn't know what to say to that. He didn't have any rights over Stark because he was a civilian and technically he didn't have any obligation towards SHIELD and him.

"I see. Well then…" he extended his hand. "Until we meet again Stark."

The man smiled and took the offered hand. "If you need a technological update though, you can still call." That was the genius speaking and it reassured Fury that the man would recover. His house, his suits, his inventions may be gone, but the most important was still there.

"Take care, Stark."

"You too Fury."

On those words Fury exited the house, only looking back when he was at the gate, staring at the closed door to the simple and small house. He didn't know what happened during those last few days, he didn't know what Stark went through during all the months succeeding New York's events, but the man he just saw was a changed man.

He truly believed it was a good change though. Only time would tell, but he was sure it wasn't the last he heard from Tony Stark and Iron Man.

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**Reviews are always appreciated, don't hesitate !**

**AngelShep**


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